This kozuka by Isshin depicts a scene from the tale of Urashima Taro executed on a Shakudo Nanako base. The reverse is done in Shibuichi with a detailed depiction of Ryugu castle. It has an NBTHK Hozon Certificate.
NihontoWatch
Ichijo Isshin
Edo
Signed
Hozon (NBTHK)
Iebori · Yamashiro
1 piece on the market now
Wada Isshin Masamasa was born in Kyoto in Bunka 11 (1814). He first trained under Fujiki Kyubei, a craftsman who produced fittings in the Goto manner as an outsourced engraver (shiirebori-shi), and at that time used the name Masataka. Later, through the intermediation of the sword merchant Sawaya Chubei, who recognized his natural talent, he entered the school of Goto Ichijo. He was granted permission to use the character "Ichi" and accordingly changed his name to Isshin. A man of broad cultivation, he possessed knowledge of medicine, was devout in matters of religion, and enjoyed composing waka poetry and playing the gekkin (moon lute). He used art names (go) such as Gekkindo, Bizan, and Tennenka, and many of his works bear honorific prefixes including Shoshin, Daishin, and Asomi. He died in December of Meiji 15 (1882) at the age of sixty-nine.
Isshin's work is distinguished by its comprehensive command of the Goto Ichijo repertoire, deployed across ambitious, large-scale coordinated sets. His productions characteristically employ takabori with polychrome iroe, executed with painstaking care and meticulous finishing across every component. In his complete daishio fittings set unified by the Twelve Zodiac theme, the NBTHK observes that he "deploys every available technique -- high relief, suemon ornament, inlay, and polychrome iroe -- devoting himself to the portrayal of each animal with painstaking care." His mitsudogu of Genji 1 (1864), a Four Seasons flowers-and-birds set executed in oborogin with takabori iroe, is recognized as "one of the foremost large-scale works among Isshin's productions," a work "into which Isshin poured his full abilities" whose "level of completion is exceptionally high." In passages of individual expression, such as the concentrated ingenuity in the "eight"-shaped brow markings of his coiled dragons, he tests a character distinctly his own.
The NBTHK consistently positions Isshin as a leading figure within the Ichijo lineage who faithfully inherited and carried forward his master's style. In his tsuba forms, the rendering of clouds and waves, and the yasurime on fuchi-kashira, the characteristics of Ichijo are prominently displayed, making it "especially interesting to observe how this craftsman, who was a leading figure within the lineage, faithfully inherited and carried forward his master's style." Yet Isshin is not merely an imitator; his works reveal a craftsman who, while working within the inherited vocabulary, concentrated creative zeal into individual passages of invention -- achieving what the NBTHK calls a "masterpiece in which the creative zeal of Wada Isshin is fully brought to expression."
Where Isshin stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.
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Iebori · Kyoto
34 pieces on the market now
" Ichijo was the fifth-generation head of the Shichiroemon house, a cadet branch of the Goto family, and trained under Hanzaemon Kamejo before succeeding to the headship at fifteen. His imperial commissions -- fittings for Emperor Kokaku in 1824 and Emperor Komei in 1862 -- earned him the ranks of Hokyo and Hogen respectively, and his atelier in Kyoto attracted a circle of gifted disciples who extended his aesthetic into the Bakumatsu and early Meiji periods. Among them, the celebrated "Five Tigers" (Goko) -- Funada Ikkin, Imai Nagatake, Hashimoto Isshi, Nakagawa Issho, and Wada Isshin -- together with the master's younger brother Goto Koran, constituted one of the most prolific and technically accomplished workshops in the history of Japanese tosogu production. The collective technical identity of the Ichijo school rests upon a foundation of shakudo nanako-ji of surpassing fineness -- described as "minute and orderly, deep and limpid," meriting the appellation kinume-nanako -- upon which elaborate pictorial compositions are built through takabori enriched by polychrome iroe employing gold, silver, shakudo, shibuichi, and suaka. Ichijo himself established the artistic direction by shifting from the canonical iebori subjects of dragons and lions toward compositions centered on close observation (shasei), rendering grasses, flowers, insects, birds, and landscapes with meticulous carving and refined dignity. This painterly sensibility pervades the entire school. Nagatake brought a distinctive ornamental density, arranging seasonal plants across entire surfaces with richly varied colored metals.
" Ikkin developed an unrivaled command of kosuki-bori -- a bold, thick chiseling technique that even Ichijo conceded was "beyond my own reach[[c:1]]" -- and his dragon subjects carried a distinctive forcefulness. " Isshin absorbed the hereditary vocabulary while concentrating creative zeal into individual passages of invention, and Issho achieved works of luxurious, courtly elegance through refined kinu-nanako and precise kebori. Koran, working in a manner akin to his elder brother yet "finished with an even more delicate and nuanced sensibility," brought the Shichiroemon branch to its most accomplished expression. Across the school, the favored tsuba form is the sumi-iri mokko-gata, and many works exhibit chuya shitate -- "day-and-night" construction using contrasting alloys on obverse and reverse. Complete daisho soroe kanagu sets, coordinated around seasonal, auspicious, or literary-historical themes, represent the school's highest format. " This standard was transmitted faithfully through the circle. " The school's productions are consistently praised for an elevated, Kyoto-inflected refinement that balances splendor and restraint in just measure. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Goto Ichijo後藤一乗 | — | 91 |
| Tomei東明 | — | 31 |
| Nagatake永武 | — | 14 |
| Ikkin一琴 | — | 11 |
| Issho一匠 | 1828-1876 | 10 |
Certifies a genuine fitting worth preserving: a correct signature, or, if unsigned, an identifiable era and school, with recognized artistic and craft value.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
NBTHK official siteReturns accepted within 7 days of receipt (JP terms; EN page states 3 days). Customer must contact within the window and return at own cost. Refund after items confirmed in original condition; repair fees charged if damage occurs.
